Container for granular or pulverulent materials with elastically deformable outlet funnel structure

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to improvements in a transport container for granular and pulverulent materials which can be fluidized for discharging purposes by increasing the air pressure within the container.

United States Patent Svensson [151 3,656,663 1451 Apr. 18, 1972 [54] CONTAINER FOR GRANULAR OR PULVERULENT MATERIALS WITH w ELASTICALLY DEFORMABLE OUTLET FUNNEL STRUCTURE [72] Inventor: KjeIl Charles Svensson, MaImo, Sweden 5 [73] Assignee: Tankmobil Aktlebolag, Malmo, Sweden 22 Filed: June 2,1969

21 App1.No.: 829,547

[51] Int. Cl. ..B67c 11/00 [58] Field of Search ..222/460, 183, 527, 564, 481, 222/566, 193; 198/53-55; 214/17; 239/591, 602;

[ References Cited 9 UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,265,314 8/1966 I-Ielmsetal. "2391591 3,512,323 5/1920 Hupfer ..220/9 X 3,187,944 6/1965 Stock...........,..... .....222/55 X 3,194,420 7/1965 Kemp et a11...,...... ..222/193 X 3,367,724 2/1968 Emery et a1 ..222/I93 X FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 244,224 8/1946 Switzerland ..222/460 Primary Examiner-Samue1 F. Coleman Assistant Examiner-Norman L. Stack, Jr, Attorney-John J. Dennemeyer [57] ABSTRACT The present invention relates-to improvements in a transport container for granular and pulverulent materials which can be fluidized for discharging purposes by increasing the air pressure within the container.

4 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures CONTAINER FOR GRANULAR OR'PULVERULENT MATERIALS WITH ELASTICALLY DEFORMABLE a OUTLET FUNNEL STRUCTURE It is a well-known expedient to provide such containers with inclined inner sliding walls to facilitate the flow of the material upon fluidization. Such walls are also provided when the container is divided by partition walls into a plurality of storage bins, in which case unused spaces will be created. The thickness of the sliding walls must be dimensioned to support the weight of the materials as well as the pressure of fluidization of 0.5 to 3.0 atmospheres above atmospheric. Trussing and the like has been provided in these spaces to support the load to enable the wall thickness to be reduced. However, it has been found that the desired weight reduction could not be obtained in this way.

Another solution proposed already was that of providing in the sliding walls valves having filters adapted to pass air but not particulate matter therethrough,. thereby equalizing'the difference in pressure between storage bin and empty space, and thus enabling the thickness of the walls to be suitably dimensioned for carrying only the weight of the particulate material. Such construction has also been found to be unsatisfactory because of the danger of a bursting of the excessively thin walls, especially when the air pressure existing within the storage. bin is not equalized at a sufficient rate with the pressure prevailing in said empty space, such as at excessively rapid pressure changes. Because of the dynamic stresses created in the structure of the transport vehicle such as'a truck or rail car there will also be a danger of cracking in the walls and in the attachments therefor.

It is accordingly an object of the invention to eliminate said drawbacks by providing .a container structure incorporating novel features allowing a considerable reduction of the service weight of the transport vehicle while its loading capacity can be increased correspondingly, and presenting at the same time a robust and simplified construction.

Further details and features will appear from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate, by way of example, three different structural embodiments of the container, and in which:

FIG. I is a vertical section through the storage container of a transport vehicle,

FIG. 2 is a cross-section taken along the lines II-Il of FIG. 1

FIG. 3 on a larger scale, shows a vertical section through a second embodiment, and

FIG. 4 shows a vertical section through a third embodiment.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawing it will be seen that the cylindrical pressure container 1 is provided with dome-shaped end walls and. mounted on a transport vehicle (not shown). Thecontainer is divided by partitions 5 into three storage chambers or bins 2, 3, and 4. A valve 6 is inserted in each partition 5 permitting a pressure equalization between the bins and adapted to pass air but not particulate matter therethrough. The container is provided in its top wall with a plurality of charging openings 7 for corresponding openings in the bins and closed by detachable covers. The container has a circular bottom portion 8 at the bottom of each bin as seen in plan view, which bottom portion is provided with a filter adapted to pass air but not particulate matter therethrough, as well as with an aperture and a fitting for a flexible air supply pipe (not shown). A'discharge duct is' directed towards each bottom portion 8 with its outlet opening disposed withinthe bin immediately above the bottom portion.

Two channel-shaped sliding-wall members 9 of sheet metal or plastic material are disposed within bin 3 and form a funnelshaped, downwardly tapered portion within the bin. Bins 2 and 4, respectively, have one single sliding-wall member 9 inserted into them, this sliding-wall member also forming in cooperation with the adjacent outer wall portions of the container a similar funnelshaped and downwardly tapered portion within the respective bins. Each sliding-wall member is secured in place by lugs 10 and 11 arranged, respectively, on

the partition 5 and on the container shell. A block-shaped body 12 made of cellular plastic, such as polyester or polystyrene, or of any other suitable light-weight material is disposed within the space defined between two sliding-wall members and the container shell. This body 12 completely fills this space and may have inserted therein reinforcement members, for instance in the form of coil springs which may be rigidly connected to the sliding wall member 9 and/or to the container shell. The sliding wall members 9 may be adhesively bonded to the body 12, the side surfaces of which, after curing, could alternatively form the sliding walls. In this latter case the side surfaces may be formed with a stiffening and smoothing layer, and the body may be bonded to the container shell by an adhesive.

In FIG. 3 a container 17 is illustrated which is divided by partitions 5 into bins 15, 16 which are four-sided in shape, as seen in plan view. At its bottom portion the container shell tapers inwardly whereby this portion of the shell forms in cooperation with sliding walls 18 engaging the partitions 5 and disposed at an oblique angle relative to the bottom portion 8 a funnel-shaped portion at the bottom end of each bin l5, 16. The slidingwalls 18 are secured in place by lugs 10 and 11 arranged respectively on the partition 5 and at the bottom portion 8. A body 12 made of cellular plastic is inserted into the spafie defined between two sliding walls 18 and the container she Finally FIG. 4 illustrates a pressure container 20 which is entirely parallelepipedic in shape and is divided by a partition wall 5 into storage bins 21, 22. Inserted into the bottom portion of the container is a unitary block-shaped body 23 made of cellular plastic and formed for each bin with a funnelshaped recess having cured sliding surfaces 24. To facilitate insertion the block may be divided into a plurality of mating segments which are secured in place within the bins by lugs l0, 11. By initially securing the sliding walls 9 or 18 within the container 1 or 17, respectively, it is possible to introduce cellular plastic material through a valve 13 into the molding cavity defined by the sliding walls and the container shell, the plastic material having been subjected to pre-foaming as is well known per se, after which the plastic material is finally expanded by supplying thereto water vapor under pressure through a valve 14. Upon cooling, a homogeneous, lightweight plastic body will result, which is thus in simultaneous engagement withtwo sliding walls and the container shell whereby a loadon one or both of the sliding walls 9, 18, 24, respectively, of the body 12 will be transmitted to and carried by the container shell.

Many modifications of structural details may be made without departing from the scopeof the invention; thus for example the block 23 may be secured in place within the bin by an adhesive.

I claim:

1. In avehicle transport container for pulverulent or granular material, one or' more substantiallyvertical partition walls dividing the interior of said container into two or more separate compartments, each of said compartments being provided with inlet means for charging said material, and outlet means for discharging said'material, said outlet means terminating in the region of a lower wall portion of said compartment and being adapted to discharge said material from said compartment in the form of a fluidized stream, means for supplying air atelevated pressure to the interior of said compartment to establish and to maintain said fluidized stream during the discharge of said material, and sliding surfaces on opposite sides of said partition walls, said sliding surfaces being inclined downwards from said partition wall towards said lower wall portion of said compartment, the improvement comprising: a space having substantially isoceles triangular cross section defined between opposite inner surfaces of said sliding surfaces and adjacent, lower wall portions of said container, said space being completely filled with a body of low-density, elastically defomtable plastic material, whereby said body of material is effective to absorb dynamic stresses on said sliding which said inclined surfaces of said body are reinforced and form themselves said sliding surfaces.

4. An elongated transport container as claimed in claim 3 in which said container is provided interiorly with lugs adapted to secure said body in position relative said partition wall. 

1. In a vehicle transport container for puLverulent or granular material, one or more substantially vertical partition walls dividing the interior of said container into two or more separate compartments, each of said compartments being provided with inlet means for charging said material, and outlet means for discharging said material, said outlet means terminating in the region of a lower wall portion of said compartment and being adapted to discharge said material from said compartment in the form of a fluidized stream, means for supplying air at elevated pressure to the interior of said compartment to establish and to maintain said fluidized stream during the discharge of said material, and sliding surfaces on opposite sides of said partition walls, said sliding surfaces being inclined downwards from said partition wall towards said lower wall portion of said compartment, the improvement comprising: a space having substantially isoceles triangular cross section defined between opposite inner surfaces of said sliding surfaces and adjacent, lower wall portions of said container, said space being completely filled with a body of low-density, elastically deformable plastic material, whereby said body of material is effective to absorb dynamic stresses on said sliding surfaces and transmit loads on one or more of said sliding surfaces to the lower wall portions of said container.
 2. An elongated transport container as claimed in claim 1 in which said body is made from expanded polyester or polystyrene plastic material.
 3. An elongated transport container as claimed in claim 2 in which said inclined surfaces of said body are reinforced and form themselves said sliding surfaces.
 4. An elongated transport container as claimed in claim 3 in which said container is provided interiorly with lugs adapted to secure said body in position relative said partition wall. 